Chelsea got back on the winning track in the Premier League on Tuesday night, picking up a 4-2 win over Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues didn’t have much time to think about their 4-2 win over Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals over the weekend at Wembley, but Antonio Conte loved what he saw in the three substitutes against Spurs — Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas.
Those three again played a key part on Tuesday, as they all got the starting nod from Conte. Gary Cahill returned to the starting XI after a hospital stay last week forced him to miss the Spurs game. Alongside Cahill was David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta, with Thibaut Courtois as the last line of defence. Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso held down the flanks, with Nemanja Matic and PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante playing centrally. Hazard, Costa and Fabregas were listed as the forwards, though the latter took on a very free-roaming role.
It didn’t take long for Chelsea to make it 1-0, as they showed a flash of the 2014/15 Premier League-winning side with a wonder ball from Fabregas finding Costa in behind the back four less than five minutes in. Costa waited for Hazard to arrive at the scene before dishing it off to the Belgian, who slotted the ball into the back of the net.
Oriol Romeu made it 1-1 in the 24th minute, but Cahill put the Blues back on top with a stoppage time header just before half time.
The game quickly went to 3-1 with a goal from Costa in the 53rd minute, and the Spaniard made it 4-1 in the 89th minute. Ryan Bertrand scored the Saints’ final goal during added time, but it was too little too late.
Here’s what we learned from Chelsea’s 25th win of the season.
